


Nightmares

by spidey_owl



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, One Shot, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23167093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spidey_owl/pseuds/spidey_owl
Summary: It's not easy adjusting after 18 years in isolation. Rapunzel has a nightmare.Rapunzel/Cassandra fluff. One shot.Its midnight, idk what this is, really.
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 155





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warning: Horror like nightmare and body decay description. (reason for rating)

The castle had grown quiet. 

Metal against hard stone floors could be slightly heard in the distance as guards patrolled the hallways to make sure everything was safe. As soon as they turned into another hallway, silence ensued once more. 

The city below grew just as quiet, lanterns being put out one after the other. Those last few that stood on eventually dimmed as the candle got smaller, until either someone blew out the fire or the wick finally died. As the last candle went out on a windowsill, Rapunzel sighed from where she sat by the large window. 

Night after night when everyone else went to sleep, she stayed awake for hours. Truth be told, she was afraid to sleep. Every night since mother, or rather Mother Gothel, perished, she'd been haunted with nightmares. After 18 years being trapped in a tower, Rapunzel was having a hard time adjusting to the life of royalty and civilian interaction. 

While she was a people person and they seemed to love her, she would feel overwhelmed at any given time. They all knew her but she didn't know them. And every night now, she went to bed in a castle with complete strangers. 

There was Eugene of course, whom she knew the best out of anyone now. And she was comforted by the thought he was allowed to live in the castle a few ways down the hall.

Now, there was also Cassandra, who kinda scared her at first. When she was first assigned, Rapunzel had no idea what her job actually meant, and was taken aback when the girl followed her everywhere. But never being the one to shy away, Rapunzel greeted the girl with smiles and paintings. 

But Cassandra didn't crack so much as a smile. And what was worse, her and Eugene couldn't get along even if their lives depended on it. This made for some pretty tense situations when all three were together. 

Something else she had noticed at first was how much Cassandra sighed when Rapunzel questioned things. And early this day, they had gotten into an argument. 

*

"Wow! Look at this!" Rapunzel exclaimed excitedly, rushing over to pick up what she was talking about. "What is it?" She questioned more to herself rather than asking her Lady in Waiting who was walking just far enough to give the princess some breathing room. 

Having overheard the curiosity, Cassandra crossed her arms and let out a frustrated sigh. "It's just a noise maker. Just a childs toy." Her arms crossed as she finished her 'matter-of-fact' sentence. 

"Oh." Rapunzel said, her smile falling a bit, but kept positive as she placed the small toy back on the table. Continuing to walk through the city, she had eyed something else and rushed over to it. 

Grunting, Cassandra picked up her own pace to stay close to the princess and followed. 

Standing outside a shop, Rapunzel had her hands against the glass and pointed at something hanging with a 'Sale' sign on it. "That looks so cool! I bet it's really important." 

"It's just an auger." Cassandra stated, though her tone pitched in an almost question like fashion. 

Rapunzel looked at her confused. "Is it not important?" 

Crossing her arms, Cassandra rolled her eyes. "It makes holes in trees." 

Looking down at the floor, Rapunzel felt a twinge of embarrassment and let her hands slide off the glass. She walked away from the shop when a sweet scent caught her attention. "Woah, something smells delicious." Following the scent, she led them to the bakers shop. 

The small man was pulling out a fresh batch of delicacies from the stone oven and he placed them on a small outside table to cool off. 

Approaching the table, Rapunzel took in a deep breath and sighed. "These smell delicious. I wonder what they taste like!" She clapped excitedly as the baker came back out and poured a clear icing over his latest creation. 

"It's just spritzkuchen." Cassandra said bordly with yet another sigh. 

"You know what," Rapunzel said, her tone clearly frustrated as she turned to face Cassandra, "it may be just a spitkuten thingy to you. But guess what?! I don't know what that is! I've never had one. I've never seen one. I've never played with a noise maker. I've never heard of a auger. I don't know why anyone would make holes in trees! And do you know why?! Because I spent my whole life in a tower forbidden to leave. I stared at the same four walls every single day for eighteen years. I'm pretty sure I look like a huge dunce to you, but you don't have to make me feel worse tha n I already do about not knowing anything!" With that, Rapunzel turned and ran back towards the castle. 

She heard Cassandra call after her, but with the tears burning at the edge of her eyes, she just wanted to lock herself in her room away from everyone. And so she did. And somehow being confined to the single room high up in the castle was comforting. It was familiar. So she stood there for the rest of the day. 

*

Sighing again, Rapunzel stood from the windowsill and crawled into bed. The argument replayed in her head, and she felt horrible for yelling at her Lady in Waiting. She knew the girl did not want the task, but was stuck with it. Tears burned her eyes once again, and eventually they helped her drift off to sleep. 

Just as she feared, her dream quickly turned into a nightmare. 

Mother Gothel bricked up the only window that let light and fresh air into the tower. It was pitch black except for a single candle floating at the bottom of the stairs. Rapunzel knew she stood at the top where her room was. There wasn't much to the tower, and she knew every nook and cranny. But with the window blocked, it was simply a black void. 

"Come now, Rapunzel." Mother Gothel's voice sounded from somewhere down the stairs. 

"But... I'm scared, mother." Rapunzel said, grabbing onto the railing and taking a single step down. 

A laugh from the black void. "Nothing to be afraid of my little flower." Her voice sounded so warm and welcoming. 

Filled with a confidence at the words, Rapunzel descended the staircase and made it to the candle. She took it in one hand and held it up, but the glow made it no further than her own wrist. "Mother?" 

"Nothing to be afraid of. Unless you have something to hide." Mother Gothel's voice took on a colder and scratch like tone. 

"W-what do you mean? I don't hide anything from you mother!" Rapunzel's voice was shaking, looking frantically around for her mother. "Where are you?!" 

She felt a tug on her hair, seeing now that it was long and blonde. Turning in that direction, she could now make out a dark figure standing a few feet away. 

"Oh my flower, but you did. You lied to me. And because of that, I died." The dark figure seemed to be drifting closer. 

Shaking her head, Rapunzel was frozen where she stood. "N-no, I didn't want...I didn't mean…" 

A gray crusty hand shot out and grabbed Rapunzel's wrist that held the candle. The fingers were bone thin, the nails long and broken in odd angles. "You killed me, my flower. You killed your own mother!" Her face became clear in the candlelight. It was just as gray and crusted as the hand. She looked old, white hair curled down, her teeth falling out as she spoke. Her eyes sank in, her tongue lolled to the side uncontrollable as her jaw unhinged. 

Rapunzel screamed. She screamed and felt her face dampen with tears. Shaking her arm in an attempt to free herself, she dropped the candle, but the grip was there. "No! I'm sorry! Please, let me go!" 

"Rapunzel, you did this to me!" Mother Gothel's voice was eerily deep and screeching, as if unable to grab any air into her lungs. 

"No!" Rapunzel shouted, yanking her arm once more, but to no avail. 

She braved using her other hand to try and pry the bone fingers off, but before she could, a hand wrapped around that wrist and a heavy force pushed her onto the floor. Mother Gothel was above her now, her jaw dangling as she screeched. 

The strength on her wrist hurt, and she could do nothing but kick her legs and try to escape. 

"Rapunzel! Rapunzel, wake up!" Someone screamed. 

Her eyes shot open and she gasped for air. Still, the pressure on her wrist were there, and a weight on her body. The room was not as dark, but she couldn't make out her surroundings. She struggled in the grasp of Mother Gothel, and screamed. "Please! Mother, I'm sorry!" 

"Rapunzel! Calm down! It was a dream!" Cassandra shouted, keeping a firm grasp on the princess to keep her from hurting either of them. "You're safe! You're home!" 

The words reached her finally and Rapunzel looked up at Cassandra. Both were breathing heavily and it was all that could be heard now that Rapunzel had stopped shouting and moving on the bed. 

Cassandra was sitting on top of the princess, grasping her wrist and had them pinned on either side of her body. She took a deep breath and sighed, letting go of the princess and climbing off of her. 

Rapunzel sat up quickly upon being freed and looked around the room as if to confirm she really was in the castle. The two sat in silence for a long time before Cassandra stood up and headed toward the door. A sudden fear struck Rapunzel and she jumped out of bed. "Wait! Please!" She reached for the other woman and grabbed her hand. 

Looking down at their hands, Cassandra looked back at the princess with a questioning gaze. "Yes, your majesty?" 

"Um…" Rapunzel realized she didn't have a real reason for her sudden outburst. At least not one she understood. "I, uh...please don't go." Her words came out slightly above a whisper, and her gaze fell to the floor as she let go of Cassandra's hand. 

"Is there something you need?" Cassandra asked. 

"I'm sorry about earlier today. Back in town." Rapunzel blurted out. "None of that reasoning is your burden to bare and I should not have snapped at you. It was unfair and rude and I am so so sorry Cass." 

A moment of silence before Cassandra cleared her throat. "Your majesty, you don't --" 

"Stop calling me that." Rapunzel interrupted. "I told you on day one, just call me Rapunzel." 

Another moment of awkward silence before Cassandra started up again. "You don't have to apologize. You were right. All these things are old to me, but they are new to you. I can't imagine what it must have been like for you. And, well, you should be excited to see and learn all the old things of the world." She offered a small smile. "I'm just sour because I know this job was a way for my dad to keep me off the guard. And I kinda resented you for that, but it wasn't fair to you. So, I'm sorry." 

Rapunzel smiled softly and walked back to her bed. She patted the space next to her and was happy when Cassandra took the invitation. They were silent again, but this time it was less awkward. "I have nightmares every night about her. About mother." A frown fell on her face, and her arms came up to hug herself defensively. 

"I figured. You toss and turn in your sleep every night." Cassandra stated. "I'm right next door, so I can hear you. But this was the first night I ever heard you scream." 

Hugging herself tighter, Rapunzel brought her knees up to her chest and shuddered. "This one was...the worst one yet." 

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Cassandra said quickly, placing a hesitant hand on the princesses back and rubbing soothing circles

Rapunzel nodded in thanks and leaned into the touch. "Will you stay here with me tonight? I know you're probably not one for sleepovers. But…" She didn't have any other bargaining thoughts so just let her last word trail off. 

Standing, Cassandra moved to the top of the bed and pulled the covers back. "Come on." She motioned to Rapunzel and waited patiently as the princess crawled under the covers. "Move over, let's go." Cassandra rushed as she climbed in next to the other girl. Pulling the blanket up, she covered them both and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. 

Rapunzel turned onto her side, facing Cassandra, and wrapped her arm around the other girls torso, resting her head in the crook of her neck and shoulder. "Thank you." Rapunzel sighed. 

"Go to sleep." Cassandra said, sounding annoyed in her signature way. She was glad that it was dark and Rapunzel couldn't see the dark red blush that warmed her whole face. She just hoped Rapunzel couldn't feel her heartbeat pounding faster.


End file.
